


Full Circle

by N_T_L



Category: Final Fantasy VIII
Genre: Canon Related, Gen, How Rinoa might become Ultimecia, My take on the fandom's most dividing theory, One Shot, Time doesn't heal all wounds, Tragedy, time compression, tragic irony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:01:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24685771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/N_T_L/pseuds/N_T_L
Summary: Two years after Squall's death, Rinoa makes a fateful decision.
Relationships: Rinoa Heartilly/Squall Leonhart
Kudos: 10





	Full Circle

**Full Circle**

_ ~ Fithos ~ _

By now her friends were begging her not return to this place. She was only hurting herself, they said, drawing out her pain. But Rinoa couldn't help herself. His tomb was the only place she still felt near to him.

Squall hadn't died a young man; far from it. But he had been a SeeD to the very end. He fell in some pointless war in some insignificant land far away, assassinated by cowards. Almost two years ago now.

Rinoa spent close to half a century at his side, yet she still couldn't let him go. Especially since she wouldn't get to join him in the great beyond anytime soon. Sealed away powers or not, time flowed different for a sorceress. Squall may have been a beacon of health until his death, his wrinkled face and greyed hair still had made his advanced age obvious in his final years. But her? Some people still thought her to be in her early thirties when they met her for the first time.

Worse, being a sorceress had made it impossible for her to bear him any children. There was no living memory of him left for her to hold onto.

All she had was this sarcophagus, the effigy depicting Squall in his prime, peacefully resting. Usually she would spend hours here, lying next to it, caressing the beautiful face cast in stone, remembering how it had looked so perplexed all those decades ago when she had asked him to dance.

Not today.

Today would be different. She had broken the seals, reactivated her sorceress powers. In the past Edea had warned her repeatedly and insistently, not to do this in any case. And she wouldn't have done it, had she seen any other way. But she couldn't go on living like this.

Taking a deep breath, Rinoa closed her eyes and spread her arms. She started feeling for the magic coursing through her body once again. It had been gone for so many years, yet it still felt familiar. Scary, yes, but oh so powerful.

"Come back to me!"

She thrust her arms towards to the sarcophagus, sending the magic into it, reaching for Squall. She would pierce the barrier between life and death, pulling his soul back to this side. He would have a new body, stronger than ever. Staying at her side for all the time fate intended her to spend in this world. He...

Nothing was happening. 

"Please, come back to me!" Rinoa cried. 

She doubled her efforts, biting down on her tongue. Her feet left the ground, her hair blowing wildly around her face. Still nothing. She was crying in pain and frustration, conjuring up more and more power, until the magic flowing through her was almost tearing her apart. 

Then she finally felt something. 

A soul, so proud and strong, it could only be his. Rinoa tried to grasp him with her magic, to pull him to her side, but he resisted. So she let go of any last inhibitions that may have held her back and threw everything she had at the resisting force. For a moment she thought herself too weak, that it was all for nothing, but then, finally, something came loose.

Without warning all magic was sucked from her into the sarcophagus, making Rinoa slump to the ground in exhaustion. Gasping for breath, she opened her eyes again, looking up at his grave. An orb of pure blackness, red lightning crackling around it, had appeared over the effigy, growing rapidly in size. Then it lost its shape, instead forming the body of a muscular beast, covered in black fur, sprouting mighty wings from its back. Its leonin head was crowned red horns, framed by a long white mane. Once it had fully manifested, the imposing creature set down on top of the sarcophagus as light as feather. 

A Guardian Force, Rinoa realized. And not just any Guardian Force...

"Griever."

The mystic beast studied her, its feline eyes glowing with pride. "That is what I am called. Why have you summoned me, child?"

"No, I-" Rino was still cowering on the ground, barely holding herself together. She had failed. "I wasn't calling for you. I'm sorry if I disturbed your slumber. I wanted Squall to come back to me."

"I know." Griever's deep growling voice didn't sound threatening in any way. If anything, it was calming her down. "He will. One day."

Unbelieving she stared at the Guardian Force. Her heart was racing again. "Really? H-How? WHEN?"

"Remember the place you promised to meet each other again."

"The flowers," said Rinoa. Her voice had been all but a whisper, but Griever must heard it anyway, as he nodded affirming.

"You've found each other there once before. Go there, and wait for him again."

Rinoa finally found the strength to get up again. "How long will I have to wait for him?"

"A very long time. It won't be easy. It will demand every ounce of strength you can muster. And more. I am here to offer you the strength you need to see him again. The decision lies with you." Griever lowered its head towards her, until their faces were almost touching. "Do you wish a bond with me, child?"

Rinoa didn't flinch back, nor did she avoid Griever's piercing gaze. She wasn't afraid. Squall had carried the symbol of this beast as his sigil all his life, drawing strength from the values it represented. Not even Ultimecia enslaving the Guardian Force and using it against them had not shaken his believe in Griever. 

Nobody had junctioned a Guardian Force in many years. The cost had been deemed to great. But this... this was meant to be! For the first time in almost two years, Rinoa felt a spark of hope.

"Yes."

_ ~ Lusec ~ _

The flowers were gone. They had perished with winter's arrival. Or was it winter again already? Was it even winter now? Irregardless, she was still here, at their meeting place, watching the clouds and the ocean, waiting for him. She wondered if he'd still be able to find her here. The place looked so different now, without the all the colors. No, she mustn't lose hope! That had almost happened a few times before, but Griever was always there for her, strengthening her resolve.

"L-Lady Rinoa?" asked a hesitant voice behind her.

Right, that was her name. It had been such a long time since someone had addressed her with it; or even visited her here. She slowly turned around, looking who had come to disturb her. There were two of them. Young men, wearing somewhat familiar uniforms. They radiated uncertainty, fear even. Uninterested, she turned her attention back towards the sea.

"Lady Rinoa," he started again. "We are SeeDs of Balamb Garden. We have orders..." He hesitated. "We wanted to ask you to accompany us back to the Garden. Please."

She didn't react. Balamb Garden? Why ever would she go there? He wouldn't find her there. They were supposed to meet here.

"Lady Rinoa?"

"I will wait here."

"But..."

"You can't stay!" yelled the other one. He was angry, but also very nervous. "You've been out here alone for way too long already. Your powers are out of control. Look around you! You completely drained the life from this place. Everything here is dead - except you."

She glanced at them again and felt herself growing irritated. Why couldn't they just leave? She just wanted to be left in peace; to stay here and wait.

"Please come with us," said the first one in a calmer voice, stepping up to her. "A sorceress of your power shouldn't be alone for such a long time. You need a new sorceress' knight at your side."

"I have a knight." She couldn't help but smile as some of the most wonderful memories of him returned to her. "He will come back to me. I have to wait here for him."

The SeeD grabbed her arm, pulling her to her feet. "I am very sorry for your loss, but Sir Leonhart has died a long time ago. He won't return to you. You have to come with us."

Her smile vanished as she looked at him. He must have sensed the fury coursing through her, because his eyes grew large with fear. Maybe he regretted his words, but it was already too late. She placed a hand on his chest; his face turned pale instantly.

"I will wait  _ here _ ."

The SeeD's lips were moving, he was trying to say something. A death rattle was all that escaped from his throat. He collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

"You are mad!" screamed the other SeeD, drawing his weapon. 

A gunblade. Was that  _ his  _ gunblade? Had this impertinent worm stolen it? In the end, it made no difference anymore, she was furious anyway.

The SeeD came at her; she raised a hand.

Then she was alone again.

_ ~ Wecos ~ _

From atop the cliff, she watched the burning husk of the Garden sink into the ocean. There was no feeling of triumph, just emptiness and exhaustion. Once it was gone she turned around and made her way across the vast battlefield, her every step a painful burden. Left and right lay the broken bodies of countless SeeDs as well as many of the monsters she had summoned forth for the earlier battle. She had sent her few remaining underlings to hunt down her surviving enemies.

And thus, she was alone again. Probably not for long. Her monsters would not return, but those irritating SeeDs would. They always did. They just couldn't leave her alone. The had been attacking her for years now. Or had it been decades already? Centuries? Those worms didn't want her to experience the moment she was so desperately waiting for.

It got worse every time. Griever made her powerful, but not invincible. This time she had almost lost the battle. Blood was running down her numb left arm. She was in so much pain and she hated the SeeDs for making her feel this weak. But no matter what monsters she sent after them or how many of them she herself killed, there were always more of them. Always returning, always attacking.

Healing her wounds would have to wait for now though. She needed to be prepared for the next attack. She could not allow the SeeDs to come this close to victory ever again. She would never leave this place. She would stay and wait, for all eternity if she had to.

After a short march she reached another cliff and looked down at the dark ocean in front of her. This was the place. For some time now she had sensed what lay slumbering in the deep. And now was the time to return it to world.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on the ancient structure, hidden in dark depths of the ocean. Her arm thrust forward and her eyes snapped open as she let her power reach out for it. At first nothing happened, but then the ocean became unruly and disturbed, bubbling as if something was brewing under the waves. Suddenly, like the tentacles of a giant sea creature, enormous chains shot from the water in all directions, anchoring themselves in the surrounding landscape. Finally a dark, hulking castle from long forgotten times broke through the surface, raising into the sky. The ascent only stopped once the chains grew taut, keeping it hovering several hundred meters above the ocean.

Pleased, she beheld the colossal fortress as torrents of seawater were still thundering down from it into the ocean beneath in huge waterfalls.

The SeeDs had taken to calling her 'Ultimecia', ostensibly meaning 'the absolute evil' in some scholarly language. It didn't matter to her. One name was as good as the next. However, this nature defying keep was worthy to house the absolute evil. Here she could make her stand against the SeeD.

And wait.

_ ~ Vinosec ~ _

Ultimecia had tired of waiting a long time ago. Likewise, she had long forgotten what this important moment she was waiting for even was. She only knew she couldn't miss it, no matter the cost. After all, the SeeDs - now nothing more but a small itch at the back of her neck - were desperately trying to stop her from reaching that moment.

However, she would not be required to wait much longer, now that even time itself was under her control. She would simply bring the moment to her. The powers of all sorceresses that ever were and ever will be were hers now. The time compression was almost complete. And once she was one with the past, the present and the future, all things that belonged together would come together: herself, the moment and the memory just why the moment was so important to her.

There was only one last obstacle standing in her way. This last group of SeeDs that had already meddled with her affairs in the distant past. They were accompanied by the last remaining sorceress, still refusing to relinquish her powers to Ultimecia.

No one before had made it this deep into her castle, broken all the seals. It didn't matter, though. She would dispose of those irritating insects like she had done with anyone that had crossed her before. Griever was at her side, as he had always been. Enhancing her powers, as he had always done. As he had promised, he would stand with her until the long anticipated moment had arrived.

Her throne room's portal was thrown open and the six worms, standing between her and her destiny, stormed in. They were of course led by the single most obstinate and vexatious SeeD that had opposed her in all those centuries. No longer! Triumphantly, Ultimecia rose from her throne.

Finally, the waiting had come to an end.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written in late 2004.
> 
> I wrote this story after I read an expansive forum post, arguing in detail why Rinoa WASN'T Ultimecia. All I could think about afterwards was, how easy it could work within the canon of the game XD
> 
> Anyway, in case it was a bit too much between the lines, this story pretty much hinges on the fact that Guardian Forces cause amnesia.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed reading, take care :-)  
> NTL


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